Why Train Info

All trainees who have been chosen to complete a basic training course will be required to operate an expensive and very heavy piece of machinery. In industry a lift truck can be vital in time saving and can eliminate much unnecessary manual handling. But if the truck is misused or neglected the cost to the employer could be great. Not only in damaged product but serious injury could and frequently does occur.

Why do we need training?

Apart from preventing some of the 5000 accidents we get each year involving lift trucks and the usual damage to stock, buildings and trucks, it is a legal requirement for employers to get their operators trained on the equipment they are going to use at work.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

This act was huge but laid down clear legal duties for both the employer and the employee.
Section 2 of the act includes the following provisions
Section 2(1)
It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees
The matter to which duty extends include
Section 2(2)©
The provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure so far as is reasonable practicable, the health & safety at work of his employees.
In section 7 of the act it lays down the employees duties as follows
Section 7(a)
To take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of any persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work.
Section 8
No person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare.

After 1974 a lot of employers were asking the question, how much training is needed to comply with the law?

So the Health and Safety Commission approved the code of practice for lift trucks
(ACOP) which came into force in April 1989. This book gave practical guidance on how to comply with the law.

By following the ACOP employers will normally have done enough to comply with the law.
However in 1998 another law came into force called the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. (PUWER 98) Regulation 9 of this states:
(1) Every employer shall ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received adequate training for the purposes of Health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken.
(2) Every employer shall ensure that any of his employees who supervises or manages the use of work equipment have received adequate
training for the purposes of Health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken.
On 3rd June 1999 the ACOP was revised (L117) to take into account PUWER 98 reg 9.